Persona: Eclipse
by Daniel Wilks
Summary: When the new computer game, Project: Eclipse, is dropped onto shelves everywhere in Japan, people had taken it in like storm. But, when the DLC pack MAINFRAME is rumored to be on sale, only at midnight, people bought that as well. But, it was something darker than what players had bargained for. And, that is what drives our hero, Yohane Futo, into a deadly virtual world.
1. Prologue

**Welp, here we go again with a new story. This time I hope that this story will survive the laziness spell that I have for myself. But, enough of that. Welcome to my Persona Fanfiction, Persona: Eclipse. I've been dying to write something about this ever since I played Persona 4 for the first time. **

**I would like to give a shoutout to Narukami Dan for helping me out with this fic, mostly for the advice he had given me. Check out his fic, Persona: Gaiden: New Class. It is so fantastic, it'll blow you away. **

**Anyways, lets get started on this! Hopefully I'll be more responsive if you guys give me reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 4, I'll say this once, but I'll say it twice if need be.**

* * *

Monday, September 15th, 2017  
Cloudy

Somewhere in the bustling city of Morishibe, in a tiny house, a man wakes up from his slumber. He stretches; getting the kinks out of his back from the restless night he spent and throws the covers off of himself, realizing he was late for work.

After hurriedly putting on a dress shirt with some black slacks, he runs downstairs, fiddling with his untied tie. His mother meets him, crooning over her working son and she ties the tie for him. He thanks her, eats his breakfast, and grabs his briefcase, kissing his mother's cheek as he does so.

"Be safe on the road, Yori!" She calls as the man goes down the steps and into his car.

He waves from the driver's seat, and then pulls out of there, into the morning day.

* * *

Yori tapped his fingers nervously as he enters the morning traffic on the highway. This was a most important day for him. What he had worked on in his workplace, a giant in video entertainment products, Horiuchi Corporation, was being considered in a meeting that he was only three minutes late too.

His heart thumped heavily in his chest, and he tried to distract himself from it by looking at the dark clouds. The weather was looking bad, and the forecast said that it might rain, but he hardly paid attention to those things. After all, when was the weather in the favor of the forecast?

At last, he pulls out of the highway, and exits it. Yori enters a bustling road with cars coming and going at a usual pace. He sees his turn, and makes it, parking in his usual spot. He rushes to get out of the car, and heads into the building. Then, he exits and comes back, realizing he forgot his briefcase, the embarrassment showing on his pale face.

The secretary looks up as he walks up to her, his badge in hand.

"They're waiting for you," She said.

"Yes, I know, thank you." Yori said.

He walks past the desk, to the elevators. Yori makes it to the fourth floor and gets out of the elevator before walking left down the meeting rooms. Room 4 was ajar, and Yori could hear people talking in there. He had the presentation done, the notes and reports taken care of, and the blueprints were in the files he had made. Hopefully, the board would back him up.

Yori paused in front of the meeting room, took a deep breath, and pushed it open. Already they were all there, talking cheerfully as they sipped tea or coffee. The board looks up to see the 29-year-old man as he walks up.

"Ah! Yori-kun!" His boss said, smiling.

"Hello, Atsushi-sensei," Yori said, bowing slightly.

Atsushi Furuta laughed. He was a 50-year-old man who worked in the tech-building department. He was in charge of manufacturing the products that Horiuchi Corporation makes and ships to the public. Next to him was Hishashi Hagiwara, a balding, thin-bodied man with a white beard and a formal suit on with the tie loosened. He was in charge of marketing, and he was good at it. Also, there was Daichi Asato, public testing, and finally, Juro Nagahara, the aid to the CEO of Horiuchi. They all were there, just as Yori predicted.

"We came when you called the meeting via e-mail," Hishashi said, sipping his tea. "The project is already done?"

Yori nodded. "It's a little bit over the deadline, but yes, the blueprints are done,"

He put his briefcase on the meeting table and clicked it open, revealing the vanilla colored files. Yori passed them out, and then the board took their seats, ready for the meeting to begin. At first, Yori was nervous, hell; he was scared out of his mind. But, as he talked, the board became a little more interested as he talked.

"Me and my team been testing the system since the prototype came on day five, and we've been improving on it ever since." Yori then switched off the lights in the boardroom and turned on a projector that his computer was connected to.

Photos of him with three other people, a 25 year old man with blonde hair, a woman with straight black hair, and 26 year old man with spiky black hair and piercings on his left ear appeared on the wall. Five computers and a pair of headphones surrounded them with a large "H" on it.

"The product has been successful at times, but several viruses have been found with the program that we have designed to go along with the product. Luckily, they have been dealt with, but there will be one or two bugs that will be in the program."

Daichi raised his hand. "But will the game be heavily affected by these bugs?"

Yori shook his head. "No, the bugs will not affect much. Just some audio problems, mostly,"

Hishashi raised his hand next. "But will that affect the market as well?"

"The game will mostly be children's stuff in a few months," Yori scoffed. "Soon, most software companies will be begging for a share in it!"

There were a few murmurs and nodding of heads. This was good. And now, time for the kicker.

"Also, I had a friend in advertising work on a prototype ad that would help with the promotion of it," Yori then walked over to his computer, and went to the next slide. A video popped up, and he clicked on it.

Streams of light flashed through the black screen as soft techno music played.

"Have you wanted a perfect gaming experience?" A female voice whispered, "One that made you perfectly in tune with what you are playing?"

Yori looked up as he stepped away from the computer. The board was staring at the wall with intent.

"Well," the voice said, "then look no further than Horiuchi Corporation's new immersive system exclusively for the Horiuchi Gaming Personal Computer Mark 3!"

The techno music pulsed louder and the headphones spun into view. The headphones now had square glasses on them, designed to be the screen.

"Slip these on, and the music will immerse you in a better experience! And now with Brain Pulse technology, you don't have to touch the keyboard, or fiddle with the controller." Big white text appeared, claiming that, with the female voice, "You are truly are the controller."

Then, the screen went black. Yori walked over to the wall and switched the lights back on. The board squinted, adjusting to the lights as he quickly went back to his place.

"And, that's what I got to say," Yori said.

He then sat down. The board looked at him, thinking.

"Mr. Kurosaki," Juro said, standing up. "That… was an interesting proposal."

Yori's eyes lightened up.

"But," He continued, waggling a finger, "Here's the thing. We don't have, "Brain Pulse" Technology yet. It's still in its baby stages, for god's sake. And, we're supposed to release it for people with disabilities! How can we finish a six year project, at best, for this year?"

Yori sighed, shaking his head. "It's simple! We leave it as it is and we patch it as we go!" He explained. "It can be easily fixed!"

Hishashi also stood up. "And if we go with it, how much would it cost?! Even if we follow the plan, even with how revolutionary it may be, we would want people to believe that it truly works and follows a good price!"

"And are you really sure it works?" Daichi added.

"Trust me," Yori said, "It does."

The board looked at each other, and then uneasily back to Yori. He had his eyebrows furrowed. He was positive, he sure, it would all fall into place.

"…Mr. Kurosaki." Juro said, placing his hands on the table and looking directly at him.

"Yes?" He asked.

"You must be really dumb, or really smart and we're not getting it, to think that we would consider this."

A lump grew in Yori's throat.

"This is too big for us," Juro said, "I'll have to talk to my boss about it, with the board's full support on it."

Yori couldn't believe it.

"Congrats Mr. Kurosaki," Juro said, walking over to him and shaking his hand. "You're about to be a true figurehead in this company."

* * *

As soon as Yori got out of the meeting room, he saw that his colleagues were there, waiting for him. The woman with straight black hair stood up from her seat on the wooden bench.

"So? How'd it go?" she asked.

Yori put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "It was too much for them," He said, sighing. Then, he grinned. "They're taking it to the CEO, with full support!"

She put her hands over her mouth with tears in her eyes while the other two cheered.

"I thought they were so tight assed they wouldn't even consider it! Yet here we are!" The man with the piercings roared.

"Hell yeah!" said the Blonde haired man said, raising his fists in the air.

"Takeo, Hitoshi, stop acting like that, you're raise attention!" The woman said crossly.

The two shrunk back. "Sorry Chikiko…" Takeo said, scratching his head.

"Yeah…" Hitoshi added.

Yori shook his head. "Yeesh," He grunted, "If you guys are so pumped about this, then why don't you guys plan out a celebration party or something?"

Takeo's eyes lit up as the word "celebration" exited out of Yori's mouth. "Actually, that doesn't sound like bad idea!" He said. "How 'bout drinks at the new sushi bar or something? They do a KILLER 50 piece "around the world" special!"

Chikiko rolled her eyes.

"You can have that," She said, disgusted. "I'll be having just the drink, thanks,"

Hitoshi pulled out his phone. "Should I make the reservation then?" He asked, his thumb hovering over the number pad.

"Maybe," Takeo said, "What do you think, Yori?"

Yori was taken aback. "What?"

"You were team leader," Takeo said, "So it's your choice, should we, or is there another place in mind?"

Yori was again appalled. First the meeting, and now this choice… Hmmm…. He put his hands in his pockets and looked up, thinking.

"…Call it," Yori said, grinning.

What the hell? It was their crowning moment, time to celebrate. Hitoshi grinned.

"That's what I wanted to hear!" He punched in some numbers and held the phone to his ear, animatingly talking to the hostess on the other line.

"This is going to be so cool!" Takeo laughed. Yori chuckled as well. This was going to be somewhat interesting, indeed.

* * *

40 minutes later.

Evening

After the meeting with his team, Yori found himself, 40 minutes later, looking down at the dregs of his third beer. The meal was good, sushi was Yori's guilty pleasure, so he had fun, and they celebrated their success multiple times.

"Y'know, all of this is because of us," Takeo said, sipping at his drink, "And I couldn't believe that I was accepted into this project. Man, I have to say thanks because of this!"

Yori raised his glass in response. "You were the only one that wasn't swamped with the shit we go through, you know?" He chuckled.

Hitoshi laughed at that. "Yeah," He said, "Although there are some little bits that still need to be looked at." Hitoshi reached in the breast pocket of his blazer and took out a notepad. He flipped through it, staring at the scrawled notes. "There are still the AI function tests that need to be looked at, as well as the-"

"Dude. We're celebrating! No need for those here!" Takeo said, punching Hitoshi in the arm.

"I'm just recapping on what we need to do, sheesh," Hitoshi grumbled.

Chikiko shook her head in wonder. "You two should control yourselves, not like there is anything else to control with your attitudes."

Takeo laughed, and was about to finish his drink when his cell phone rang. Yori watched as Takeo answered the phone.

"Hello? Takeo Futo speaking," Takeo stood up from his seat and looked up at the ceiling. "Hiro?" Takeo asked, "Hey! What's up? How's Chihiro?" He smiled for a few seconds before his smile dropped. "What? She's- is she alright?" He asked, a little hysterically. "Okay. There were real contractions? No shit?"

Takeo paced up and down behind Hitoshi and his own chair. "She's at the hospital now? Thank god…" He breathed out, and then angrily replied, "No, I don't need a car. I'll get there, posthaste… Hiro, I know you're being the caring brother here, but listen…"

He started to pace again, tongue in cheek. "…You're right, I'm coming… Thank you for telling me this, bye!" Takeo then pressed the end call button.

He stood there, the phone on his hand, and a small smile on his face before breaking in a huge grin. Yori was the first to speak.

"What happened?" He asked.

Takeo slid the phone in his pocket and placed his hands on the head of his chair.

"It was my wife's brother, Hiro. He was looking after Chihiro as I was working on this whole project. She's giving birth as we speak." There was silence at the table as the news sank in.

"A baby?" Hitoshi asked.

"Yup," Takeo said, grabbing his coat. "Looks like it," he said, putting it on.

"Wait, looks like it?" Chikiko asked, "Takeo, you're wife is having a baby! Why are you so calm?"

Takeo shrugged. "It's not my fault I'm so cool."

"Yeah, right." Yori grunted, draining the last of his beer.

"Anyways, I'll be leaving now." Takeo said, turning to Hitoshi. "How much do I owe for the tab?"

Hitoshi put his hands to his lips and pondered on the question. "About… 17,000 Yen?" he guessed.

Takeo pulled out his wallet and then picked out a bank card. A waitress walked up to the table and asked if he was paying for his meal. Takeo nodded and the waitress took the card and went into the back room. After he left, 15 minutes later with good luck farewells following him, Yori then took Takeo's drink and chugged it down.

His wife was giving birth. Yori chuckled at the thought. Good for him. Hitoshi left shortly after Takeo, being a work night and all. That left him and Chikiko. She had finished her second drink and was ordering a glass of water.

"Hey. Chikiko."

"Hm?"

"Do you really think that the CEO would take my idea seriously?"

"Well, it wasn't yours to begin with, at first." She said, sipping at the water.

"But still." He said, slightly slurring. "If it wasn't for me, no one would have taken us seriously. I mean, I'm a guy with a dream, you're a babe who takes what she does to the next level, Takeo's an ex-band member with the piercings and the attitude to take on the world, and Hitoshi's… well… Hitoshi, I guess."

At the mention of the word, "babe", Chikikio's cheeks became flushed.

"You're drunk." She said, pushing back a thread of hair.

"Yeah. I guess so." He said, "But not by that much."

"Do you need a ride back home?" She asked.

Yori waved a hand lazily. "I'm fine." He said, placing the glass on the counter. "I'll drink a lot of water and I'll be fine."

With that, Yori asked for a glass of tap water. The waiter obliged and came back five minutes later with the full water glass. He gave him the beer glass and sipped at the water.

"But still, You should get a cab." Chikiko said. She stood up and shouldered her purse.

"Where're you going?" He called.

"Home." She said, walking past the hostess's desk and out of the restaurant.

Yori stayed there for five more minutes before paying his bill and following suit. As he walked out of the place, he bumped into a man wearing an overcoat. From the looks of the man, he was probably from somewhere else. Yori turned to confront him, but the man was too far away.

Turning around, he was then conflicted by a horrible headache. He placed his hand on the wall and stumbled down the sidewalk to his car, still parked in front of the place. He got in, turned the car key, and sluggishly entered the evening traffic. Lights flickered behind his eyes as he tried to focus on the road, but he couldn't.

As the car next to him moved up, Yori couldn't focus. All he felt was writhing pain, the headache, the ringing in his ears… Then, a squeal of tires, added with the crunching of metal as two cars crunched up against each other. The airbags expanded in Yori's face, but it was suffocating. Already he could feel a pain in his waist, which was starting to make his legs feel numb. Then, he couldn't feel them! His brain started to slow down, as an injury on his forehead started to bleed out. It was too much. Yori felt cold… and then…. He closed his eyes… he was so tired, and his head hurt so much…

* * *

He had ended up in a crash. The police pulled him out of the wreck, safely. But his medical reports showed that he had suffered through a massive head injury from the back, and was paralyzed from the waist down. But, while one life was in the flux between life and death in one hospital, another life was created in another hospital.

* * *

"Push Chihiro! Push!" The doctor cried, and as Takeo's wife clutched his hand and screamed bloody murder, the baby was born.

It turned out to be a small little kid with thin black hair and closed eyes. Takeo looked at it with pride, and then his smile grew wider as the doctor proclaimed it was a boy. The doctor then cut the cord, rubbed him off, wrapped him in a towel, and then gave it to Takeo's wife. She took him tiredly and supported him so he could suckle.

"He's beautiful." Takeo muttered.

"Yeah, guess so."

"Listen, Chihiro, if you-"

"I'm fine, really!" Chihiro said, chuckling.

He stepped back, and watched as the nurses took his child from her and measured him, measuring the height, weighting him, all of the usual things. He sat down in a hospital chair and watched as the nurses bustled around, doing their routine. As he softly smiled and his eyes started to close, he felt someone tap his shoulder. It was a nurse, but she had a facemask on and a clipboard.

"Have you thought of a name?" She asked, her pen hovering over the paperwork.

"I- uh, er…" He said, stumbling.

"Yohane," Chihiro muttered in her sleep. "Little leaf. Yohane… That's what our son will be called,"

"Yeah, what she said," Takeo said.

The nurse nodded and scrawled the name on the paper before walking away. Takeo leaned back again. Yohane Futo. He thought as the baby was returned to Chihiro, his mind lulling to sleep. Had a nice ring to it. Yes… And then he fell asleep.

The moon was already full and high in the sky as it peeped from the clouds, shining a light blue over the baby Yohane. His eyes fully open and watched as a tiny glowing butterfly flapped through a crack in the window and fluttered around, landing on his blankets… and then disappeared.


	2. The Blue Bar, The Heron, and the Fool

**Hey guys! Welp, looks like I got some good things from this! Especially with two reviews so far, so lets make it four or a higher number. Anyways, I'm glad that this is getting some people reading the story here. So, lets gets some more people and more reviews, shall we?**

* * *

16 years later...

* * *

August 25th, 2034

Afternoon Clear Skies

Yohane Futo was not an average kid.

After being born in Morigami Hospital, his mother and father had taken him home to their tiny apartment near the city center. Shortly after, his father had moved the entire family to the countryside, because of business relocations. Takeo Futo joined another independent video game company that was located in town, and he spent every day, and night, working there.

It was a mostly lonely childhood for Yohane, being that he was, in fact, a little different than usual kids. Instead of being a cheerful little guy, he ended up being a face in the background, with the burden of loneliness on his shoulders. It was enough to make him cry, and that was enough. His mother called his father one night and they just argued and argued.

Then, Takeo packed his bags and left for the city again.

The company had moved offices, and the marriage would have never stood afloat for a little longer. After his slow rise from middle school to high school, in the summer of his freshman year, his mother had told him that there was an esteemed high school in the city, and that there were already applications on the table if he was ready to fill them out. His grades from the previous year were extraordinary, and the school had noticed him because of it.

Yohane agreed, and now he stood there, at the train station with his suitcases near his feet, and rereading the acceptance letter from Ichigami High School for the Intellectually Growing.

"Dear Mr. Futo. It has come to our attention that, with your academics being exceptional in the field, we have decided that you are a candidate for being part of the next class of 2038. Congratulations. See you at your Orientation."

Yohane looked up, then to the left to see if the train would come.

Nothing.

Only train tracks caught his gaze. He sighed heavily, and pulled out his circular headphones before putting them over his ears. For a lonely kid, he looked like any other student.

He was tall, a little skinny, about 5'10 in height, had black hair that was matted on the front half and stuck up in the back, had icy blue eyes, and angular features. He wore a white t-shirt with grey jeans with his school jacket half zipped up, so that his crudely tied on dark red tie didn't blow in the breeze.

The jacket itself was a light blue-grey, with a patch with a sigma symbol on his right breast, and links on the cuffs of his jacket. His collar also had symbols on them, a sigma on the right side, and a roman numeral three on the left.

He was just a typical Japanese high school student with headphones in his ears, nothing to see here. He tapped his right foot impatiently; it had already been 20 minutes. The train schedule said it would be there ten minutes ago. Either he was missing something, or the train was being lazy. He sighed and pulled out his phone, unlocking it and flipping through the music he had on it.

Would he listen to the Fresh New Start Playlist? Or the new band that his school friend Yuuka put on it? The band sounded a little girlish to him, but Yuuka claimed that they were not "any old dumb boy band." Whatever, Fresh New Playlist it was, then. He clicked on the icon, and already the American band, "Duncan Vs Life", came on with their single "Roller."

Music wise, Yohane was a well-rounded music lover, with bands ranging from rock, alternate, or techno. He couldn't stand dubstep though, ugh. Ruins his eardrums every time he listened to it. As the guitar riffs started halfway through the song, Yohane finally saw the train.

It stopped at the station and the doors opened. He picked up his bags and stepped through it, walking into the front car. Already there were five people getting off, but ten stepped on, including him. He showed his pass to the ticket master, who took it with a nod and gave back to him.

Yohane, with bags in tow, went to the middle car and placed the suitcases in the rack before sitting down in his seat. The conductor then announced their leave, and the train slowly went out of the station. Yohane sighed and relaxed in his seat. Well, he was off. Yohane looked out the window. Already, the countryside was going fast with the trees whizzing by. For this age of technology and information, at least some places have been left untouched… mostly.

He smiled softly and yawned. Maybe he shouldn't have stayed up all night just packing his cases and sending goodbye emails to the few friends he had. It wasn't his fault for having only three friends; He just needed to work on his courage, charm, and understanding, really.

Yohane was a bright student, at times, and really worked on the entrance essay that was required for enrollment. It was a good thing he did work on it, because if he hadn't, he'd be stuck in a dismal classroom for the coming year. He sighed and a new song started to play, a soothing melody to counteract the raucous train. He checked the time on his phone, high noon. It would be a while until he reached the city station. A nap would be well situated for this time consuming thing. With a sigh, he slowly closed his eyes, and was fast asleep.

* * *

Blue.

Nothing but it.

When Yohane Futo had slowly opened his eyes, he almost jumped from his... Stool? What? He sat on a blue leather barstool where a bar was set up, the wine glasses and beer mugs were hanging from the hooks above the taps of drinks. Bottles lined the wall of the bar, softly glowing in the light. As Yohane turned in his seat, he was surprised how small the bar room was.

Only five tables were set up, with chairs neatly pushed in. A stage was set up, with a lonely piano in a blue spotlight. Blue wallpaper was hung on the walls, and a bulletin board was hung near a blue glass door with the title: "Past Guests." The board was groaning with old Polaroid pictures of teenagers, both boys and girls of Yohane's age, maybe older or younger, with various weapons in their hands.

Swords, spears, guns, even a folding chair. You name it; it would be there in the hands of some person. The air of the place seemed heavy, like the air was holding its breath for something big to happen. It was a little too much for him. He coughed and turned back to the bar.

He nearly jumped in his seat when he saw that a woman, nearly 20, walked out from a curtained back room. She had white blonde hair, which was shortly cut and tucked with a blue hair band, and yellow eyes. She wore a blue tank top and blue jeans, the same blue that was apparently the color scheme.

Black boots clicked the linoleum that was the floor behind the bar as she tied a barkeeper apron around her waist. He said nothing as she got a small glass, filled it with a brown liquid from one of the bottles and drunk it in one gulp. When she finished, the woman looked up.

"Oh,"

Her voice sounded educated, like a college student. She straightened, stretching her back muscles.

"Who do we have here?" She mused to herself.

Yohane tried to say something, but the words were caught in his throat.

"You certainly look lost, don't you?" The woman continued. "By the looks of it, it seems you have strayed from the path."

Yohane was taken aback.

"Strayed from the path?" He asked.

"Indeed," She said, "But-"

"Clara!" A shrill voice, like a bird's call, pierced the silence. It came from back room. "Do we have someone who's here?"

The woman, Clara, turned her head to the curtain. "Yes, Sir! We do have someone here!" She called back.

The voice cackled and then said, "Let me see who it is!"

Clara sighed and mixed herself another drink, and again, throwing the contents into her mouth before swallowing.

"Come on, then," She said, opening a part of the bar and motioned for Yohane to step through.

He got out of his seat and walked past her, hands in his pockets.

"By the way. Try not to notice my master's nose." Clara muttered.

* * *

As he entered the room, the first thing he noticed was the old man with the bulbous bloodshot eyes. He was bald, but had wisps of grey hair at the side of his head. His nose was large and curved, like a heron's beak. He had a smile on his face, like it was made to only be in that expression, a creepy, almost pedophilic, smile. The man wore a suit and… well, his arms and legs were too long for his small body. He rested his arm on a table with a blue cloth on it, and a deck of cards was placed in the center. The man's eyes looked up, and his everlasting grin grew.

"Please, pull up a chair." He said.

Yohane looked around for a chair, realizing that the only one was on the other side of the table, right across from the man. The chair itself was made from a silvery wood, with a blue and white velvet cushion. The back was carved in the shape of a full moon, with the individual craters placed in the right spots. Yohane sat down, hands on his lap.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." The man said, as if he had said those words so many times. He placed his hands together, interlacing the fingers.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter." He grinned wider. "My name is Igor, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance."

Yohane nodded his head in acknowledgement. Igor appeared to be one of those characters that knew everything about you, but didn't really say.

Igor chuckled as if he read Yohane's mind and continued, "Now, then, why don't you introduce yourself?"

Yohane was confused, but before he knew it, Yohane parted his lips and the words spilt out of his mouth.

"Yohane Futo." He said.

Igor leaned back slightly.

"Yohane Futo," He mused, "I see…"

His wide smile lessened, but then came back. "It seems that you have a very interesting destiny that lies ahead of you," He continued without a beat, "But do not be worried, it'll come to pass many days before now, or, it could be happening right now!"

A destiny? what? Yohane questioned this.

Igor nodded. "Yes, An intriguing one indeed. But, lets not focus on that," The strange man leaned forward and gestured at the deck of cards. "Do you believe in the concept of fortune telling?"

Yohane shifted in his seat as he looked at the deck. The back of the cards looked like eerie masks, and it started to make him uncomfortable. Igor took no notice as he picked up the deck and started to shuffle them in deft movements.

"The cards, by chance, can either influence a future you so happen to choose. Being that you are a guest here, it appears that the cards will indicate a destiny that would occur in the near future, or if you go down a different path like the one that you are going down." Igor placed the deck on the table. "Now. Pick the top card." He commanded.

Like a robot, Yohane drew the top card. He stared at the picture. It was blank. Yohane looked up with a raised eyebrow, but Igor cackled.

"In due time, you'll find out what that card is." He said.

Then, like a viper striking prey, the strange man swiped it from Yohane's hand. He then gently placed it on the table, drawing the next two cards and placing them facedown. Igor then flipped the card to Yohane's left and smiled wider.

"The Tower, the card of destruction and creation. That card in the upright position represents… hesitation, and mystery." He looked up. "A mystery will be upon you, with a crossroads; one to destruction, another to creation. But what path will you choose?" He chuckled and then flipped the other card next to it.

A grinning skull guarding a door met his gaze. He felt his tongue getting too big for his mouth. Death? No! He can't die! Not at his age!

"Death. The card of change." Igor looked up at Yohane. He noticed the terrified, almost petrified look on the boy's face.

"What?" Igor asked, "You thought that it meant your death? Of course not."

Yohane breathed out. Oh, thank goodness.

"This card means a change that will influence your decisions. The choices you make will change your life. So let go of the things you held onto in the past for comfort, and take hold of new ideas and people you will meet." Igor leaned back. "Of course you would feel afraid, this arcana is one of the most mysterious and feared of them all, which makes it very powerful. We had a guest here who understood it completely."

He sighed, and his smile became bigger, "We helped him find his call, his meaning of life. But, his followers' still doesn't understand. Well, only some."

Igor seemed to be in deep thought for a moment, but then shook his head. "You will soon enter a contract between you and this place, in this velvet room. But, first, I must introduce someone else."

Igor looked behind Yohane and called, "Clara? If you may?"

Clara burst through the curtain in a huff. "What is it?" She asked, hastily putting on a blue leather jacket with gold rings on it as she stepped to Igor's side.

"I was only introducing you, don't make a bad impression."

"All right." She said.

Clara straightened up and sat down next to the man, producing a leather-bound book from underneath a cushion. "My name is Clara. I will be assisting you as well as my master. You only have to ask, and like a bartender, I will comply." She recited, as if she was only there to say those words.

Yohane interlaced his fingers and leaned back, nodding. "Thank you. I'll have that in mind." He said, a sudden sense of etiquette washing over him as he spoke.

Clara raised her eyebrows. "Such manners! Like other guests, you don't cease to surprise!"

"Yes." Igor interrupted, "So please. Feel free to come back."

Yohane was confused.

Just how was he supposed to come back? He asked the question.

Igor only chuckled at it. "In time, you will find out." He then raised his hand, motioning for Yohane to leave. "Now, the waking world awaits. And it calls too… Listen…"

Yohane stood up, and turned, watching as the curtain pulled back, and light streamed from it, beckoning to come…. Walk through to see…

* * *

Yohane woke up with a sharp intake of breath, his heart beating at a quick pace.

"Now entering: Morishibe Station. This is our last stop, please take all belongings with you." The intercom droned.

Yohane sat up, his hands fumbling for his phone. How long was he out for? Yohane checked the time. It was 10:30pm in American time, and 21:00 in Japanese. Was it really that late? He sighed, ruffling his hair in realization.

Yohane then looked out the window. The city was spread out next to him. The lights and neon buzzed throughout the entire province. The buildings seemed to be touching the sky, with the smaller buildings reaching only halfway to the bigger ones. A full moon glowed in response to this spectacle. So this was Morishibe City.

Yohane softly smiled at this as he grabbed his luggage from the rack as the train pulled in. _Welcome home._ He thought.


	3. Welcome to Ichigami High School

**Hello everyone! Daniel Wilks here and welcome to another chapter of Persona: Eclipse. Alright, so here's the deal. This chapter is really long. Not because that I just slathered and pasted this chapter together, but because I've been really busy over the past week or so. It's been mostly about me freaking out over the Persona 4 arena sequel coming soon in Winter, and I'm a huge fan of the first Persona 4 arena, that I am waiting with bated breath for the next one! Maybe I'll put up something with the future characters of my story, I dunno, but it could happen(?) Well, that's enough of me blathering on, please read and review! **

* * *

August 25, 2034

Clear Skies

Evening

The train slowly stopped, and Yohane took his first steps onto the platform. The first thing he noticed of the constant buzz of people as they walked along, chatting and simultaneously checking their phones. No one seemed to pay attention to the student who had just left the train. The second thing was the sudden cold chill.

Yohane gasped at the chilly night air and zipped up his jacket to the collar, giving himself some relief. Yohane then looked to the left and right, looking for some kind of sign that would lead him to his new life. He placed the luggage down and reached into his pocket to pull out the acceptance letter, and looked at it again.

There was the acceptance description, the dorm application, and then… Ah, there it is, transportation. "If you have come to the train, then there will be a bus to assist you to your destination. It'll arrive at…. "

A loud honk filled air, and Yohane nearly dropped the letter and applications.

"ICHIGAMI HIGH STUDENTS! THE BUS IS HERE!" A loud bellow came from below the station. It was as loud as a bullhorn early in the morning. Yohane ran to the railing, and looked down.

A large travel bus was parked near the entrance, with the logo of Ichigami plastered on the side. A large man in a tracksuit with brown hair was standing next to it, bellowing from a loudspeaker.

"ALL STUDENTS PLEASE COME ON DOWN! THE BUS IS LEAVING IN FIFTEEN MINUTES!"

Yohane's eyes widened and he grabbed his bags, stuffing his acceptance letter in his uniform coat pocket. It was leaving in fifteen minutes? Dammit! He hurriedly ran down the stairs, almost tripping as he went, his eyes always keeping a check on the bus if it would suddenly leave on him. Already there must be kids on there, or something. With a clatter of shoes hitting pavement, Yohane finally reached the bottom. As he ran up, the man in the tracksuit noticed him.

"Hey!" He said, lowing the speaker from his mouth. "You Ichigami?"

Yohane nodded. "Yes," he panted, his lungs and legs burning from the stairs. "I have… the acceptance letter in my pocket… if you… need to see it…"

Yohane swallowed and panted some more. All those stairs must have tired him out, but, he at least he made it.

Yohane felt that his diligence went up by a bit.

"All righty, lemme see that, and your school ID." The man said, holding out his hand.

Yohane was confused. He only had the acceptance letter, and the directions. There wasn't any ID. Yohane told him that.

The man chuckled. "I know, it's a joke I make to frighten the new students. It never really works, though. What are you anyways? First year? Second year?"

"Second year. I'm just joining the school this year." Yohane explained.

"Ah, I see. In that case, Welcome to Morishibe City then." The man said, adjusting his hand to a handshake. Yohane took it. "My name is Shuji Hirose. You can call me Hirose sensei, 'cause I teach Physical Education over at Ichigami. I'm in charge of you guys until you reach the dormitories, by then you'll be in the care of your dorm manager. Everything will be explained to you tomorrow, during the orientation day." He flashed a smile and a thumb up. "You'll really enjoy the place, I know it."

Yohane smiled back. "Thank you," He said. "I'll try to make myself comfortable there."

"You best try. Oh, by the way," Hirose sensei said, "Are you a sporting type of guy?"

Yohane was taken aback, but he nodded. "I… I've had some experience with sports." Yohane answered cautiously. It was true; he had tried soccer once. It turned out to a pretty bad experience for him, as well as the little baseball league he had joined so long ago. He was given, in both sports, the official title of bench warmer. It was a little pathetic in those times, and Yohane's mother blamed his dad for not being there for him.

"Swell!" Hirose sensei exclaimed.

He searched the pockets of his track jacket and pulled out a brochure.

"Here," He said, giving it to Yohane. "Just take a gander there and see what takes your fancy on the bus ride."

Yohane took it and examined it. "ICHIGAMI SPORTS." It read in big captions, and under it, "GO ICHIGAMI HIGH!" It looked interesting enough. Yohane put the brochure in his jacket pocket as Hirose grabbed his suitcases and threw them into the luggage compartment. He motioned for Yohane to get on the bus, which he did.

The bus was already somewhat crowded with kids his age. The guys were either staring out the window, or talking to each other while the girls were messing with their phones. Yohane walked down the aisle and sat in an empty seat in the middle of the bus, near the window. No one paid him any attention as he sat there, staring outside as Hirose sensei yelled out of his bullhorn. After fifteen minutes, he entered the bus himself. "Alright!" He bellowed, "This looks like everyone! All right! Next stop is-"

"WAIT!"

Hirose sensei turned his head sharply, and watched as a student sprinted to the bus with a crammed backpack, and a large duffle bag. The student was of medium height, somewhat the same size as Yohane himself, with spiky black hair that was slicked upwards so that his hair wasn't in his light hazel eyes. He wore the Ichigami School uniform as well, with a dark gray tie on.

"Wait! Hold up!" He called, practically screaming, to the bus.

Hirose Sensei quickly exited the bus and waited for him at the door.

"Who the heck are you?" He asked.

The student stopped in front of him, and nearly collapsed, panting. "Reiji…Morino, sir," He said, out of breath, "I'm one of the… students that was accepted here. Is this-"

"The bus?" Hirose Sensei interrupted him, "Yup, This is it,"

Reiji let out a long sigh of relief and collapsed to his knees. "Oh, good," He sighed.

Reiji then straightened up and held up the duffel bag. "Where does this go?" He asked.

Hirose sensei grabbed it, walked down the bus stairs, opened the luggage compartment, unceremoniously tossed it in, and closed it.

"There, now get in." Hirose sensei said, motioning for the student to get on the bus.

Reiji nodded and got into the bus, walking slowly down the aisle to find a seat. Yohane had looked at the scene with some interest, but then looked up at the moon, high and full in the night. Was it really a full moon tonight? He hadn't even noticed that it looked a little smaller than it already was in the sky. Yohane's phone chirruped. He jolted out of his line of concentration and pulled it out. It was a text message, from his mother. Yohane opened, and softly smiled as he read the good luck message that she had written to him, as she was getting ready to sleep. He wrote her a quick thanks, and sent it.

"Okay if I sit here?"

Yohane looked up.

"Is it alright? You ain't saving that for someone, right?"

It was that Reiji student, looking down at him with questioning eyes and a half smile.

"No," Yohane said, "I'm not saving it for anyone."

Reiji flashed a quick smile. "Thanks," He said.

Reiji then put his backpack in the luggage compartment above and sat down next to him. "I'm Reiji, Reiji Morino." He said, pointing to himself.

"Yohane Futo." Yohane said.

"You second year too?" Reiji asked.

"Yes. First time going here, though,"

"Dude! Same here!"

"I know, you practically told that to Hirose sensei."

Reiji leaned to the left of his seat to catch a glimpse of the huge track suited man. "Wait," Reiji said, "he's a teacher?"

Yohane nodded.

"Wow," Reiji breathed out, "I thought that he was some sort of volunteer or something! I mean, that get up is something, isn't it?"

Yohane shrugged. It was something, he had to admit that, but he wasn't one to judge. He told that to Reiji.

"What do you mean, 'not to judge?'" Reiji asked.

Yohane shrugged again.

"Man, you sure do talk a lot, huh?" He muttered sarcastically. "But anyways," he said, "how'd you get chosen? Scholarship?"

"Entrance essay, and good grades." Yohane told him.

"No kidding?"

"No,"

"Wow. Well, I'm here for the music program. Not to brag, but I'm kind of a prodigy myself. At least, that's how my parents made me up to be," He said, becoming a little sheepish.

It was almost like he was ashamed of that, the way his face became slightly pained. Yohane noted this as... unusual. You shouldn't be ashamed of who you are, at least, that's what his father had told him before he left.

"Anyways," Reiji said, his face brightening up, "let's not get to the sob stories, eh? So, Yohane-"

"All right everyone!" Hirose sensei's voice filled the entire bus. "Listen up!"

From the posture and seriousness in his eyes, Yohane saw that he was a very serious individual when it came down to it, everything from his thin brown hair to his brutish cheekbones.

"From now on, you ain't students anymore." Hirose sensei stated, "You all are Ichigami Students, plain and simple. As students, you guys are responsible to and for the school. To put this simply, we're counting on you guys to be the best you can be, and Ichigami can help you out with that, if you are willing to obey the rules."

A low murmur arose from the seats in the back.

"Hey, I said listen up!" Hirose Sensei bellowed, "Not chat over there!"

A hush fell over the back of the bus.

"Much better," Hirose sensei said, nodding to himself, "Now, here are the rules." He started to pace up and down the aisles as he spoke, looking at the other students in grave seriousness. "Rule one! Always keep your school ID on you at all times! You may think that it's dumb, it ain't! You'll need it to check into most of the equipment that we have, like our computers, and in certain areas, like in the library, computer center, and at the entrance gate, if you are living at the dorms. If you do not have your ID on you, then you'll either have to talk to the Librarians to get a new on, which'll cost you, I can tell you that, or speak to the head teacher about why you don't want it, for some reasons I don't wanna hear."

Hirose sensei paused there, and took a deep breath, and let it out as he spoke. "Rule Two!" He spoke, "No rule breaking! That includes: Swearing, Inappropriate Electronics, Abuse, and also Harassment. You'll learn that there are more rules to this school than those four, but they are the ones that will not and can't be tolerated in the establishment. It'll cause shame unto you, and it'll cause shame on Ichigami. You guys should know better, cause if you don't, the head teacher will probably kick you out. Then, it'll be back to wherever you came from for you."

Hirose slowly turned and then walked back to the front of the bus. "Obviously I don't want you guys kicked out, you're too smart for rule breaking." Hirose sensei stated, "But still, all of you are the best of the best, just saying. I'm not that smart, I'll admit it, but with every class I teach, which is physical education, I feel like I get a little bit brighter with all of you pointing out the mistakes I make. In turn, for all of the guys wishing to be a little stronger, I'll help you guys out in reaching that goal. It's about teamwork, really. If all of us, me, you, the rest of the class, and the previous classes in general, put all of our effort into this school, it'll remain the best!"

A low roar came from the back, not talking, but clapping and cheering.

"So, we're counting on you all to be the best at what you are at, and we'll help you be better at what you aren't good at!" Hirose sensei shouted, putting his fist in the air.

More applause rang, this time from the whole bus.

"So, are you ready to meet your new high school?!"

Loud cheers came from all of the students, and Yohane found himself clapping along with them.

"I can't hear you!" Hirose sensei chided, " I said, 'Are you ready?!'"

"Yeah!" A loud roar of students answered.

"Well then! Lets not waste anymore time!" Hirose said, cracking his knuckles, "Lets go!" He sat himself down in the driver's seat and turned on the engine, closing the doors as he did so.

"Next stop, Ichigami High!"

* * *

The long journey to Ichigami was boring to say the least. The lights of the city leaked through the bus's windows as it went along the city streets, moving swiftly. Yohane looked out the window for most of the trip, but he mainly talked to Reiji.

"Yeah, being a music prodigy and all, it really makes a difference in school, y'know?" Reiji said, as the bus went on the freeway, away from the inner city. "I mean, you sort of get respect, 'cause I've been with a lot of bands who wanted to put my name with some of their acts if they come into town."

"I take it you don't live here." Yohane noted, adjusting himself in his seat.

"No, I live… around. My parents move around a lot, thankfully in Japan. Both are in the record business, Dad's a contractor; Mom's a composer for movies, and me? Well…"

"A music prodigy?"

"Yup, like I've said many times," Reiji finished.

He then sat back, looking up at the ceiling of the bus. "I've been working on a lot of projects that's been really ambitious over the past week. Hopefully I'll drop the EP shortly after the first term, maybe. Hey, could you do me a huge-"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Hirose sensei's voice came over the intercom said, suddenly, "If I can direct your attention to the right of the bus, you can see your new school already!"

Everyone pressed his or her faces against the glass, except for Yohane, who only looked to the right to see the huge campus that was Ichigami High School.

Spread out in a field the size of a large American college, the main school wasn't squares and rectangles, but a huge dome surrounded by smaller modern looking buildings. In some places, courtyards and a stadium were places, as well as weathered looking brick buildings covered in ivy. Hirose sensei pulled out of the freeway, and through a large archway that had the chiseled words in the stone, "SHO ICHIGAMI HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE INTELLECTUALLY GROWING."

Hirose sensei parked in front of a large open-air courtyard that led to the main building.

"And we're here! Please be careful when exiting the vehicle, we don't want you to trip and fall as you collect your belongings." Hirose sensei jokingly said as he went up from his seat and opened the door.

One by one, the students got out of their seats and walked out of the bus in a straight line. Hirose opened the luggage compartment and handed the bags, suitcases, trunks, and duffel bags to people one at a time to the students. Reiji quickly grabbed his backpack from the upper luggage compartment and paused when he got it.

"I'll meet you up at the courtyard, alright?" He asked.

Yohane nodded.

"Great, see you there!"

With that, Reiji slung on his backpack and walked out of the bus. Yohane followed after him, grabbing his personal suitcase as he walked out. When he got off of the bus, Hirose already had the luggage lined up on the sidewalk. Yohane looked down at the line and found his trunk. As he picked up the huge suitcase, a looming presence shadowed over him. Yohane looked up and saw a huge senior looking down over him.

"Hey, you have my suitcase," he said huskily.

Yohane glanced at the suitcase, then back at him.

"This is my suitcase." Yohane stated.

The senior leaned down and stared right into his face. "Is your name Yasuhiro Kido?"

"No-"

"Exactly."

The senior then grabbed the suitcase right out of his hands and stomped down to the main school building.

"You looking for your suitcase, Yohane-kun?"

Yohane turned to see Hirose sensei walk up to him. "Yes, I am." He answered.

Hirose sensei turned, grabbed a suitcase, and set it down before his feet.

"Here you go! " He grunted, "Try not to mix your suitcases up next time, alright?"

"Yes, thank you." Yohane said, bowing.

"Hey, no need for the formalities." Hirose sensei said, rubbing the back of his neck, "It wasn't a problem, really."

Yohane rose up and grabbed his trunk.

"You'll be going to the dormitories for rest. Just take a left and the main courtyard. Since you're a second year, you'll be with at the second year dorm. You'll figure out where it is, just follow the others, got it?"

"Got it,"

"Get a good rest, orientation day's tomorrow, so be fully awake and prepared!" Hirose sensei said, giving Yohane a thumbs up. Yohane thanked Hirose sensei, and then walked into the main courtyard, turning left, and followed the other second years down the path to the dorm.

* * *

The huge brick building that was the dormitory for the second years was huge, and positively ancient. The bricks were slightly crumbling, a tangle of ivy covered the walls, but it kept a regal look to it. Wooden benches stood outside a picnic area and the main entrance. Yohane had to stop and stare at this building, noting that even though the school was modern, it still kept a… homely feel, to say the least.

As he stared, a gaggle of girls bumped into him, making him drop his suitcase and his trunk, spilling its contents.

"Sorry!" One of them said, before all of them laughed, and continued chatting as they headed into the building.

How rude! The nerve of some people these days! Yohane rolled his eyes and stared at his belongings, strewn on the ground. He hastily picked them up and stuffed them into his trunk, grumbling while his anger smoldered inside.

"So, new student, huh?"

Yohane turned around with a jolt. A student was leaning against the wall of the dorm, right near the door. He looked like a third or second year, depending, with black hair in bangs and dark brown eyes.

"We don't get many new students nowadays, you're lucky you even got here." The student continued, "Although how you got here is a question, country boy."

Yohane blanched at the kid. He sounded so snide and snooty, and Yohane wanted to give him a piece of his mind...

But he didn't have enough courage.

"You got here on a scholarship or something?" The student asked.

Yohane shook his head, standing up.

"Ah, entrance exam, then?" The student asked, to which Yohane replied, "Yes."

"Huh, well! You must be really smart to be here." He said, leaning forwards. "It's nice to see a new face in this hellhole of a school. What all the critics say about this place is far from true. Most of the teachers are either stupid as hell, or really smart and the assholes that are our classmates are too dumb to realize it. But hey! You get it, right?"

Yohane shrugged, it wasn't in his judgment. The student held out his hand, motioning for Yohane to shake it.

"Since you just came here, at least let me welcome you." He said, smiling. Yohane smiled back. He didn't mean any harm. Yohane took the student's hand and shook it.

"Pretty decent for a student, huh?" The student mused. "Ah well. Hopefully we'll meet up, at a later date than this. Tomorrow's a big day, y'know, orientation and all that."

With that, he took off down the path, to the main building.

Yohane smiled, then gasped as a pounding headache suddenly pierced through his brain. It was like a sharp sword was stabbed straight through it and he could feel his heart beating along with the throb. He breathed heavily, clutching his head. The pain drove him to his knees, in agonizing moments.

Then, as soon as it happened, it was gone. Yohane slowly stood up, confused. He just shook the guy's hand. There's no way…. He must be tired, that's it. Yohane checked his phone again.

Yeah, it was late, time for bed. Tomorrow was a new day, and with it, a new life begins. He finished repacking his clothes and with that, he headed inside, already forgetting the moment.


	4. Good Night, and Good Luck

**Hey guys, Daniel Wilks here. I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I really thought I would get this done sooner but... it didn't work out so well. My old computer finally gave out. Yup, it's dead. All the data on that one, including the new chapter was... gone. But, I was able to re-write it, with few changes, of course. It won't be a problem anymore, thank goodness, with a new computer here and all, and I'm dead set on getting you guys more chapters and a quicker pace. So, please, show support by reviewing and following this story, since with the people who's been taking the time into reading this, I salute you all. Now, enough of that, lets get to it!**

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When Yohane entered the dorm, bags in tow, he was surprised.

Instead of a small entrance hallway, it was a large recreational space. The room was like a hotel, with a small area that held a desk made from wood that looked like it was made from mahogany, with the mail slots and individual room keys hanging from hooks. The front room was already preoccupied. Even though some other students were milling around, there was only one person that Yohane recognized. On the couch, flipping through the channels on the TV was Reiji, the boy he talked to on the bus ride. He looked up as Yohane stepped through.

"Oh! Hey dude!" He said, "You came just in time!"

"In time for what?" Yohane asked as he set down his luggage.

"In time for... Well, I don't know what. But, at least all of the dorm members are here, I think!" Reiji motioned to the other side of the large room, were… Were three other students his age were just sitting there, looking uncomfortable as can be, while a lone female student was leaning against the wall, nodding her head as her clunky headphones blared.

A student, a male one with dyed blue hair that covered one eye looked up when he entered. He looked tall, but that must've been because of his well-built muscles. He wore a sleeveless shirt with the Japanese rising sun on it under his uniform jacket, which he didn't zip up.

"Whaddya lookin' at, punk?" He snarled.

Yohane was taken aback by the sudden sense that he was not welcome here, as the student's brown eye stared at him menacingly. Another student, a female, with curled short hair who wore a hairpin in her hair coughed. She had a slender figure, with the wool blue grey button down jacket and a grey skirt that was Ichigami's uniform for females, complete with the sigma patch on the right breast, and black stockings with leather loafers. She coughed, and the student turned to her, eyes still intimidating. "

Excuse me," The female student started to say, "But I don't think you should-"

"What?" The fist student asked, "You his girlfriend or something?"

The female student cowered back, the look in her face complete terror. The other female student noticed this and took off her headphones, clicking the off button while doing so and glaring daggers at him. From the state of her clothing, the girl must've been in a lot of fights and such, since most of her clothing was… wrecked, to say the least. She wore the usual uniform, but had a dark violet hoodie over it, with frayed cuffs and a huge hood, which could cover her eyes when done up. Torn blue and pink stockings and ratty red sneakers completed her look. Her roughly cut short hair, dyed tangerine orange and hot pink, was almost too bright to look at, with two longer strands of hair near the side of her head. In a way, she looked like a punk, or a delinquent. It was all that and more, with her jade eyes that were burning with green fire.

"Hey. You," She said, pushing herself off from her spot on the wall and walked straight up to him.

The other student noticed her and stood up. "What?" He scoffed, "You HER girlfriend now? Woo! We got quite the love triangle here, don't we?" The student snorted and stood up as well.

The other female student cringed, while the punk snorted.

"Cute," She snapped, "Very cute." The punk then folded her arms. ""I'm going to ask you to leave her alone," She stated.

The male student folded his arms as well. "Oh? And who told you that?"

"Me, and for the record, I'm her friend. Which sorta counts as being in her… well-being." The punk then cracked her fingers, "If that didn't get through your thick skull and into that little pip you call a brain, I'll say it in a different way. You mess with her, you mess with me. Got it?"

"You trying to start something?" The male student snarled.

Both of them were now so close that the punk had to look up to the other student as they both stared at each other, the tension already building, the lightning shooting from their eyes. Reiji looked up and was shocked by the scene that was unfolding in front of his eyes.

"Hey, guys, I really don't think-"

"Dude, this doesn't concern you," The punk said, practically waving him off, "This is between us."

Reiji looked taken aback, but the look the female punk shot him left Reiji not one to argue.

"Momoe," The first female student said, hesitant reassurance in her voice, "It's fine! Really! You don't really have to protect me all the time!" The punk, Momoe, turned her head.

"This creep was messing with you, Sakura!" She exclaimed, "It's not alright with me!"

"It's fine, Momoe. Just leave it at that." Sakura said, the tone of her voice pure steel.

Yohane was taken aback at how cold and stone like Sakura's face had become, like a mask of a proud and harsh queen. Momoe hesitated, her eyes turning back to the male student, and then back to Sakura. She snorted, and then went back to her place on the wall, turning on her headphones and placing them over her ears.

"Yeah, that's right." The male student jeered, "Go back to your house, dog!"

Sakura's cold gaze was then turned to the male student, whose smug grin was wiped from his face and was replaced with freaked out expression. He sat back down and folded his arms together with shoulders slumped.

"Damn bitch. If I wasn't here just to wait for someone, I would have beaten the crap outta you… " He muttered darkly.

"I hope you don't use that kind of language when you stay here in Ichigami, because that will not be tolerated here."

All of the students, including Yohane looked to see a woman walking into the room. From her high authoritarian air she seemed to exert as she walked, she was indeed, imposing. The woman was tall, her black hair was long and came down to her shoulders and her brown eyes were framed with rectangular glasses. She wore a black pantsuit and carried a tablet.

"Oh," She said, "And we have more guests." The woman reached the bottom step and bowed.

"Welcome," She said, "I am Gina Hashimoto. You may call me Hashimoto-San. I will be your Dorm Manager here in the Second Year dorm." Hashimoto-San turned on her tablet and looked up. "May I have your names, before we begin?"

"Sorry Miss, can't do that," The male student said, standing up.

"Oh?" She asked, "And why is that?"

"Cause, you won't find my name in there." He snapped, walking to the door and opening it. "Besides, I'm not supposed to be here in this dorm anyways." With that, he exited, slamming the door behind him.

"Well, that's good." Hashimoto-San said, after a pause.

She looked back at her tablet. "So, your names, please?" The first female student and the punk were the first to stand up.

"I'm Sakura Kaneko, and this is Momoe." Sakura said, bowing.

"Momoe Arita, pleased to be here!" Momoe said, scratching the back of her neck as she grinned. "But honestly, that kid, huh?" She said, her face turning into furrow browed pout, "That jerk! wish I could teach him some manners," She yawned, looking sheepish "But the jetlag from the trip here is killing me!" She finished.

"Momoe!" Sakura said, shocked, "You don't just beat people up because you feel like it!"

"Hey, he was messing with you, and you know I don't take that kind of... er, stuff."

Yohane noticed that Momoe quickly looked at Hashimoto-San as she said, "stuff." She was probably going to say something else, but quickly changed her mind. What a move there…

"And you? Your name?"

Yohane blinked and lost his train of thought. Hashimoto-San was looking at him, the tablet glowing a dark blue.

"Sorry," He said, "It's Yohane Futo,"

"Futo…. Futo… Ah! Here you are!" She checked a box on the tablet and then looked up. "Alright! You're here for the rest of the year. Welcome."

Yohane bowed. "Thank you," He said.

Hashimoto-San returned it, "The pleasure is all mine," She said.

Reiji, noticing the scene, stood up as well. "Didn't catch my name?" He asked.

"No," Hashimoto-San said, checking her tablet, "Your name, please."

"Name's Reiji Morino, music prodigy, been with a lot of band acts, not to brag. You must have heard of me, right?"

"Never heard of you." Hashimoto-San deadpanned.

"Oh,"

Yohane could see the cloud of depression over Reiji's head as he sat down again on the couch.

"Now, with that out of the way, allow me to give you the full speech." Hashimoto-San turned off her tablet and tucked it under her elbow.

"Here in Sho Ichigami High School, you all have the option to stay on school grounds, in our top-notch dormitories. You all have signed the forms and have agreed to the terms of our rules. If you need a reminder, I shall tell you." She straightened up, giving everyone an even look. "All students have separated floors, the boys the bottom three floors, the girls the three upper floors." Hashimoto-San stated, "No one of either sex may be allowed to go on the opposite floor, unless you are in the main room here." She motioned at the entire entrance room. "This room will be the place where you shall relax and interact with each other, mostly for study hours and after school hours."

Hashimoto then motioned to a large room behind her. Yohane and the two girls walked through the entrance, with Reiji trailing behind, being the only one who was sitting down. In the other room, a large table was set up, with plates, napkins, and silverware already set up. A large kitchen was made in the further corner, with a large steel refrigerator and two stoves.

"This is where you shall eat your meals. The kitchen is open for people who feel like they are able to cook, but mostly the cook will prepare your meals." Yohane and the others walked around the dining hall, looking around the area.

"Pretty swanky, for a school." Reiji noticed.

"No duh." Momoe muttered, staring at the silverware.

"As you can see, it is rather amazing, isn't it?" Hashimoto-San said, amused. "Now, back into the main room, please."

The group re-entered the main room, and Hashimoto-San cleared her throat. "Now, with that out of the way, I would like to present to all of you your room keys." She then went to the dorm desk, and grabbed several keys. "Here we are, then!"

One by one, Hashimoto-San presented each key to a student. "Arita, you're 307. Kaneko, you're 317."

The girls thanked the dorm manager, picked up their bags, and headed up the stairs. Hashimoto-San then turned to Reiji and Yohane.

"Morino, you are 216." Reiji took the little key, and was about to pick up his bags when Hashimoto-San stopped him.

"Wait, I almost forgot." She said, "I forgot to tell you all that I am informed when mail arrives, and I was told that a lot of packages are going to be coming here in a few days, all in your name." Reiji straightened up.

"Oh, that must be the instruments that I asked to be mailed over." He said, nodding.

"Well, I must tell you, the dorm rooms aren't that big."

Reiji's eyes widened. "R-really?" He asked nervously.

Hashimoto-San waved her hand. "Of course, the instruments in question aren't that big, correct?"

Reiji shrugged. "First, I need to see the room first, then we'll see."

Hashimoto-San nodded, "Of course," She said.

Reiji flashed a quick smile and picked up his duffel bag and backpack. "Now, if you would excuse me…" He went up the stairs, leaving Yohane behind.

"And now, Futo."

Yohane looked down and saw that his room key was hanging in the light by the slim finger of the dorm manager.

"Your room will be room 113. The students call it the, "lucky room," so I hope that you have good luck as you stay there!" Yohane gulped quietly and took the key. A wave of uncertainty and unease washed over him as he stared at the key.

"Are you alright?"

Yohane looked up.

Hashimoto-San looked concerned, her brows furrowed. "You look pale, did something happen?"

Yohane, thinking quickly, shook his head. "No, I'm alright. Just tired."

Hashimoto-San nodded. "Ah, I see. Well then, you best get to your room then."

Yohane nodded, and picked up his suitcases, before thanking Hashimoto-San. As he climbed the stairs, he thought he heard a faint chuckle. Yohane turned, but there was no one there. Man, he must be beyond tired, into the thought of hearing and seeing ghosts. With a chuckle, he headed up the stairs, and down the long hallway, to Room 113. The wooden door wasn't too worse for the wear. Yohane unlocked the door and opened it. It was dark inside, the lanterns outside casting shadows from a large window. He flicked on the light switch and closed the door.

* * *

The room was roomy, with a sizeable space that was pretty modernistic. A wooden floor with a single green rug was shown first. Two bookshelves were pushed up on the wall, next to a black dresser and mirror, while a desk was placed near the window, so that the user would be able to look through it. The bed was placed near the bathroom, convenient, for a start.

Yohane placed his suitcases on the floor, and started to unpack, putting his clothes in the dresser and spreading his belongings around to show that he was the owner of this room, until the end of the year. He then opened his personal suitcase, and pulled out a Horiuchi Brand Laptop Plus 2020 edition with the Brain Pulse Headphones. He set it on the desk, and then sat down in the desk chair, his chin on his hands.

* * *

This was his gift from his dad before he left for the city. He half smiled as he put it on the desk and plugged it in to charge from the charger. It was his 16th birthday, and his dad wanted to talk to him, as he packed his belongings. When Yohane entered the room his dad called, "The office," he was just finishing up packing a box that had, "files," on it. Takeo looked up.

"Ah, Yohane." He said, smiling.

Takeo had almost all of his piercings removed, except the right earlobe, which was just a plain black ball. He wore an old band shirt, a blazer, and jeans. His hair had turned slightly salt and peppery, and he wore square dark blue glasses.

"So," Takeo said, standing up, "16, eh? Man, you've certainly grown."

Yohane nodded.

"Can't believe it myself," He continued, "I mean, I've seen you change so much, from the kid you were, to a man. Dang, just…" Takeo's voice trailed off and it seemed there was a lump in his throat, but he cleared it with a cough.

Silence.

Yohane just stood there, staring at Takeo, who seemed to be in deep thought.

"…Look," Takeo said, his face turning into a serious mask. "I know I've not been the best dad, and work had been… hard."

Takeo sat down in a chair, "But, you realize that things between your mom and I have been… choppy." He sighed, leaning back into his chair.

"Y'know, I wish things were different, Yohane. When I saw you come into this complicated world, I thought it would make more sense, that my life would be given a definite answer. It didn't. It only made it more confusing." Takeo leaned forwards, "But you aren't the problem, I can tell you that." He said, "You're something more, a new part of the world's equation. Life is nothing more than a huge problem. All it takes is a simple word that represents the answer, the one to everything."

Takeo stood up, and suddenly, hugged Yohane.

"You're my answer to life, Yohane, and don't doubt if for even a second. You got it?"

Yohane nodded, hugging his father back.

"Oh! But your present!"

Takeo broke away and started to rummage in the packed boxes. "I know I have it in here somewhere…" He muttered, then, "Aha!" Takeo quickly looked behind him, and then turned around.

He was carrying a small, slender laptop and a pair of banged up blue headphones.

"Happy birthday," He said, handing it to Yohane.

He took it.

"It used to be mine, both of those things. I know we're in a different generation of computers right now, but that one is still alive and kicking. I built it myself, after all."

Takeo smiled to himself, as Yohane put it on a desk and opened it, testing it out.

"Yohane,"

Yohane looked up.

"Promise me that you'll think better of me, after I left."

Yohane nodded, promising to never doubt for a second. Takeo laughed.

"Thanks, now, get back to your mother, I think she's calling you."

Yohane nodded, and then left the office for the last time.

* * *

Yohane shook his head, and brushed a tear from his eye. Memories, they were such cruel mistresses when it comes to it. It was the last moment that he had shared with his father, and it would be the only one. He stared at the computer for a few more minutes, and then continued to unpack. When he was finished, he looked at the clock.

It was almost midnight.

He stripped and put on a white long sleeved shirt and black sweatpants, went to the bathroom to crack open his toothbrush and brushed his teeth, and then turned off the light. Yohane climbed into bed and… didn't go to sleep. He couldn't anyways. Even though his body was tired, his mind was racing.

So, here we are. He was finally here, at the most prestigious high school a kid like him could go. He stretched, yawning. This place looked like any other high school, except for the many scholarships. His eyes softly closed. This school maybe be not so bad after all…

* * *

August 25th-26th 2034

Midnight

Clear skies

_Fog. The choking, stifling fog met the boy's eyes when he awoke in this prison. It was up the path, into oblivion, and went down the path, towards… forever._

_ The boy. _

_Ah yes, the boy. _

_He would be useful for the coming days. Sadly, he hasn't stood up yet. Wait, he's standing up, frightened. _

_No? He isn't frightened at all?_

_ Strange… the others were; they were terrified out of their minds! _

_So why isn't he?_

_ Oh?_

_ He's taken the first step! Bravo! _

_Oh? And now he's walking down the path. _

_He's different, I can tell... _

_Oh? He stopped. Ah, here's the part when he leaves-_

_ No? _

_Oh! Clever! _

_Keeping us on our toes, are we? _

_The boy's walking now, we'll meet soon enough, at this rate. He's reached the first door! _

_Ah! Yes! _

_Meet us, please! _

_Come, meet us; show us what you're capable of! He's running! The Second door! He's opened that as well! Yes! Find us, please! Oh! He's reached the last one! Quickly! To the Final door!_

* * *

Yohane slowly walked down the path. Already the fog was rolling around him, engulfing him. This dream was surreal; the whispers of thousands of unknown people coaxed him into pressing on.

When he had awoken in this place, he was wearing the same clothes that he wore when he entered the school. He hadn't the faintest idea where to go, and the only way was up the path, since if he went down… then that would lead to… nowhere. Then, as he walked up the path, he then had to open two of the strangest doors, both of them wooden with archaic markings on them.

But the third that met his gaze was… huge.

It was a double door, chained up with iron chains, and locked with all kinds of locks, key locks, combination locks, bicycle locks, all of them. He slowly walked up the stairs that led up to it.

Yohane's breath was caught in his throat as he made it to the landing, and then he slowly walked up to the door, his left hand outstretched.

"_Don't," _The voice was soft, and mellow. But it had the edge like a newly sharpened knife, scraping against stone. "_That door is not meant for opening… yet." _

Yohane whirled around and caught sight of a faint figure, leaning up against the door.

"_You are not ready to witness the power that is behind this door, nay, you aren't ready to be here at all." _

The figure looked over to Yohane.

"_Humans…_" it said disgustedly, "_They are a bane to the world, crawling over each other like the insects they are. You are the same; you humans are all the same. Stupid, stupid, stupid._"

Yohane was astounded, the figure was mocking him, hell, and he was mocking everyone! Yohane couldn't believe it himself, how could he make these assumptions? How? It doesn't make any sense! The anger that had built up when the girls had pushed him over a few minutes ago finally let loose, in a single wave.

"You're wrong," He whispered.

The figure looked over at him again. "_What?" _

"You're wrong," Yohane stated, and the figure went silent.

Then, a low rumble resonated in the room. The figure was… laughing, out of all the things.

"_Oh? You think you're different? You're __no__ different, boy!_" The laughter died down, and then the figure disappeared.

Yohane was confused, and then the whispers began to grow louder, and more frantic. Before he knew it, in the cacophony of noise, a sharp pain pierced Yohane's chest, and he saw the blade of a sword going deep.

The figure had somehow materialized in front of him, and had stabbed the sword right through his chest!

Yohane collapsed, the blade going into the floor now.

"_Typical human,_" The figure tittered, "_Always off your guard, even when someone carries the tool of your demise._"

Yohane coughed, flecks of blood on his lips.

"_Be grateful I'm letting you live._" The figure continued, "_You amuse me, and nothing more. Goodbye, and let the darkness engulf you, until nothing remains._" With that, the figure walked down the stairs.

Yohane swallowed, frightened, no, terrified out of his mind.

Already he could feel cold, his legs giving way, and he was slowly sliding down the blade to the floor. This was the end of him, no doubt about it. Yohane slowly closed his eyes. No need to see the end, it was all over, now…

No, he must see this through, maybe if…

Weakly, he grabbed onto the hilt of the sword, pulling himself up.

The pain shocked through his body, racking it with more coughs and gasps, and he almost collapsed from it, but Yohane gritted his teeth, and using the rest of his strength, tried to pull the sword blade from his chest.

The blade was far too deep into the floor, and would not budge.

Yohane continued his futile struggle, then gave up. He slowly slid down to the floor again. Just then, he heard a faint thud. He looked to the left. A large… thing, was climbing up the stairs, slithering over them.

It didn't have a specific form, from lion, to snake, to wolf, to screeching monkey! No, it was all of these things, and it reared up, making itself ten, no, fifteen stories tall! Yohane could only watch as it slowly came down upon him, choking him, blinding him, suffocating him! The few faint words that he heard before he lost consciousness was…

"_I am waiting… The door must be open, the contract must be made… Find me, and find yourself, and I shall be… thine…guide…"_


End file.
